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Mariners reportedly reached agreement on a deal with reliever Juan Nicasio. The Mariners used 40 pitchers last season, tying an MLB record. Nicasio was durable. He tied for the NL lead with 76 appearances and pitched to a 2.61 ERA.

Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma could be back as soon as May after surgery on his right shoulder. Iwakuma made only six starts last season, going 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA.

Charles Moynihan ESPN Producer

Seattle Mariners Manager Scott Servais on the prospects of facing Shohei Ohtani during the regular season. "We will see him a lot. He's a really talented player and I am sure we'll have plenty of battles as the years go forward." The Mariners play the Angels for the first time May 4th.

Which major free agents are most likely to sign first? Which team's GM will be the most active, and what will be the most surprising move? Our experts dig in to what could happen as teams start wheeling and dealing.

Getting Dee Gordon from the cash-strapped Marlins might solve Seattle's center-field problem. But will the additional bargaining power it gives the Mariners for Shohei Ohtani be the key consideration?

David Schoenfield ESPN Senior Writer

Jerry Dipoto has said he wanted to acquire a center fielder for the Mariners ... so he acquired Dee Gordon from the Marlins. Seems strange except the Mariners apparently plan on moving Gordon to center field, which is a creative solution given Gordon's speed. He's signed for three more seasons plus an option so he could be a long-term solution there. They did give up Nick Neidert, their top pitching prospect. He's not a flamethrower, but immediately becomes one of the Marlins' top prospects as well and Derek Jeter has dealt away his first major chunk of salary.

Second baseman Dee Gordon has been traded from the Miami Marlins to the Seattle Mariners, where he's expected to play center field. Seattle also received international slot money from Miami, reported to be $1 million.

David Schoenfield ESPN Senior Writer

The Mariners traded catcher David Banuelos to the Twins for $1 million in international slot money -- just in case a little additional cash will help them to convince Shohei Ohtani to head to the Pacific Northwest. Of the seven finalists, the Rangers have the most bonus money to offer at $3.535 million while the Mariners can now offer $2.57 million. That probably won't be a deciding factor for Ohtani, but it certainly can't hurt. Banuelos was the team's fifth-round pick in 2017 out of Long Beach State and hit .236/.331/.394 at Class A Everett. He's regarded as a strong defensive catcher.

In separate deals, the Mariners and Angels each sent a prospect to the Twins in return for $1 million in international bonus allocations. The two teams are among seven teams still being considered by Japanese star Shohei Ohtani.

Shohei Ohtani, the 23-year-old Japanese right-hander with a 100 mph fastball and devastating left-handed swing, met with the Mariners and Cubs on Tuesday and was meeting with the Rangers on Tuesday evening, according to multiple reports.